Racket Sports Rebounder with Side Shields

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for racket sports practice (such as tennis, pickle ball, padel, squash, racquet ball, table tennis and the like) is disclosed. The apparatus being comprised of a tubular frame, lightweight cloth, a swivel bounce board and unique side shields that prevent balls from straying. The curved area of the rebound sheet allows users to hit balls into the apparatus and have them returned at various speeds and angles. The apparatus being of such a size that, when broken down after practice, can be easily transported by a single person. An object of the invention is to provide an affordable means for racket sports enthusiasts to practice independently.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to racket sports such as tennis, pickle ball, padel, squash, racquet ball and table tennis. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus for allowing a racket sports athlete to practice alone.

BACKGROUND

A racket sports rebounder can be an invaluable training tool when a player of tennis, pickle ball, padel, squash, racquet ball and table tennis etc. cannot find a partner. A rebounder can also provide a means of exercise for players who travel. Rebounders continue to evolve and many in the sporting industry have developed portable backboard. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,993,334A, 4,373,720A, 5,664,784A and 20080227571 A1 granted to Schmutte, Lombardi et. al., Redlich and McTavish et. al. respectively disclosed a flat tennis practice backboard that can be hung on a vertical surface. United States Patent No. 20120283046A1 granted to Yamanashi teaches of a mobile backboard stretched between an adjustable frame. U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,767B1 granted to Gorton disclose an A-frame setup ball return system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,056 granted to Schmutte disclosed an accordion-shaped backboard ball return system. U.S. Pat. No. 9,155,952B2 granted to Tatsuya Yamanashi disclosed a tennis training apparatus; however, it does not include a swivel bounce board or side guides. U.S. Pat. No. D789,466S1 granted to Sung-Jin Cho, Floyd Tom Smith, and Benjamin Chung disclosed a ball return system; however, it does not include a swivel bounce board or side guides. U.S. Pat. No. 9,950,235B1 granted to Albert Williams disclosed a Portable tennis playing apparatus; however, it does not include a swivel bounce board or side guides. While many of these systems represent an improvement in backboard systems, they do not incorporate sidewalls to accommodate new sports such as pickle ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in the prior art through the disclosure of a practice rebounder. The rebounder is comprised of a metallic frame body, wherein U-shaped legs are fixed on the two sides of the bottom of the frame, a transverse supporting rod is connected between the U-shaped legs, two vertical supporting poles are connected at the top center position of each U-shaped leg, two side bars, the upper of which have arcs which are terminated with L shaped corner units interconnected by a top bar, a swivel bounce board at the bottom and a rebound sheet mounted obliquely and strapped to the frame with bungee cords. The lower portion of the side bars are connected by the swivel bounce board. The upper portion of the side bars provide for a semi-circular fold at the top of the rebound sheet so a ball struck at the middle of the sheet will travel upwards, decelerate, stop and change direction to travel back towards the striker. The upper portion of the side bars also contain side shields that prevent a ball from straying off the side of the apparatus. The various strapping positions between side bars and the sheet (together with the adjustments on the swivel bounce board) determine the duration between shots and the height of the returned ball towards the player. This adjustability allows users to practice many racket sports with a single rebounder. All connections are secured via spring-loaded detents and the product assembly does not require any tools and takes only minutes to assemble. The size and weight of each component allows it to be portable.

An object of the invention is to allow a player to practice racket sports without a partner. A player can setup the rebounder without any tools, apply tension to the return surface by means of bungee cord that allow it to be taut enough to return a ball served at high speeds to the player standing at a distance. When a user delivers a ball to the apparatus, it encounters the flexible rebounder at an angle. Much of the speed of the ball is dissipated and absorbed by the rebounder. The ball then rolls up and contacts a curved, return portion of the rebounder and is redirected back down until it reaches the bottom plate and is ricocheted back the player once again.

Another object of this rebounder is to allow users to practice curve ball shots—such as those routinely performed in rackets sports of tennis, pickle ball, padel, squash, racquet ball and table tennis. When a user performs a slice on the ball with a racquet, the ball spins and can curve to the side of the rebounder. Once the ball arrives at a conventional rebounder, it can bounce off the side and may not return to the player. The current rebounder disclosure has side shields along the upper-curved portion that prevents the ball from leaving the apparatus by dampening the ball's spin and redirecting it back to the sheet towards the user.

Another object of the aforementioned invention is to provide a means to change the height of ball return by a adjusting the angle of the swivel bounce board. For example, if the swivel bounce board is positioned at a lower angle, a ball will be returned at a lower elevation to the player. If the bottom plate is positioned at a higher angle, the ball will be returned at a higher elevation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means to allow the rebounder to be extremely portable. The rebounder itself is created of tubular steel that can be disassembled and has flexible fabric than can be rolled or folded up. When the frame has been disassembled and the rebound sheet rolled up, it can be carried by a single person and stored in a conventional closet.

As a preferred scheme of the apparatus, several fixing holes to receive bungees are arranged in the side bars. The surface of the intercepting rebound sheet is connected to said side bars by bungees which are in-turn connected to attachment pins on the frame.

As a preferred scheme of the present apparatus, the rebound sheet is made of but not limited to polyester coated PVC fabric with a weave of 1000 D, and the U-shaped legs, the transverse supporting rod, the vertical supporting rods, the first connecting rods, and the second connecting rod are made of a rigid metal such as stainless steel etc. Compared with the prior art, the present apparatus has the following beneficial effects:

1. In the present apparatus, bungees, fixing holes and fixing ropes are provided to facilitate the removal of the rebound sheet so that the apparatus can be used more conveniently.

2. In the present apparatus, the duration between ball returns can be adjusted manually based on how the bungee cords are affixed to the frame. Each of the attachment points on the frame are identified and the upper attachment points determine the durations between rebounds for each of the various racket sports. This duration adjustment is achieved by the slope between the two penultimate highest attachment points and how bungees are secured either below or above the frame rod. The greater the slope, the shorter the duration between shots due to the increase in the speed of the ball and vice versa. A variation including but not limited to between 1.5 and 2.5 seconds between shots can be achieved in this way (a more detailed discussion is included in the detailed description section).

3. In the present apparatus, the height of the returning ball can be also adjusted manually with the angle of the swivel board—thus achieving the versatility of practice for racket sports such as tennis, pickle ball, padel, racquet ball, squash and table tennis etc.

3. In the present apparatus, anti-skid disks and U-shaped legs are provided and employed thereby the stability is improved, and the apparatus can be used more safely.

It is briefly noted that upon a reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize various means for carrying out these intended features of the invention. As such it is to be understood that other methods, applications and systems adapted to the task may be configured to carry out these features and are therefore considered to be within the scope and intent of the present invention, and are anticipated. With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements.

The objects features, and advantages of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features.

FIG. 1 showing a perspective top view of the racket sports rebounder with side shields.

FIG. 2 showing a perspective bottom view of the racket sports rebounder with side shields.

FIG. 3 showing a side view of the racket sports rebounder with side shields.

FIG. 4 showing close up and section views of the attachment system.

FIG. 5 showing representative views of the apparatus' method.

FIG. 6 showing a perspective view of the racket sports rebounder with side shields being utilized.

Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

FIGS. 1-6 showing various perspective views of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus. The apparatus is comprised of a portable rebounder for racket sports having at least two, U-shaped legs 4 fixed on two sides of the bottom of frame 2 with a transverse supporting rod 12 rigidly-connected between said U-shaped legs 4. Distal ends of U-shaped legs 4 having anti-skid discs thereon. Two vertical supporting poles 3 are connected at the top center position of each of the two, U-shaped legs 4. FIG. 1 showing said vertical supporting poles 3, being connected to lower diagonal bars 2A which in turn are connected to the upper diagonal bars 2B, which are connected at each end with L-shaped, corner units 2C which are connected to each other via the upper horizontal bar 2D. FIG. 2 shows the rear view of the entire frame providing support to rebounder sheet 1. Said upper horizontal bar 2D is firstly inserted into the top sleeve on a distal end of the rebound sheet 1 before it is hung. All attachments of frame 2 are rigidly affixed to one another by locking pin attachments including not limited to spring-loaded detents etc. The arcs at the upper ends of 2B have side shields 10 rigidly-affixed along their longitudinal axes by means of hook and loop straps 10A. FIG. 2 Said rebound sheet 1 being rectangular-shaped and made of a flexible, lightweight material including but not limited to: weatherproof polyester coated PVC fabric of 1000 D weave, plastic mesh, nylon, canvas and the like. Rebound sheet 1 also having a plurality of grommets 6 along its perimeter to receive bungees 11 with pull balls that selectively affix it to frame 2 by means of attachment pins 15. FIG. 3 showing distal ends of frame 2 being pivotably-affixed to rectangular-shaped, swivel bounce board 5 by means of swivel bounce board adjustment knobs 8 allowing said swivel bounce 5 board to rotate and be selectively affixed at various angles. When swivel bounce board 5 is turned up, the ball return is projected higher and closer to the rebounder—conversely, when it is turned down the ball return is projected lower and farther from the rebounder. FIG. 3 also showing attachment point identifiers on frame 2 including but not limited to: A on a distal end of lower diagonal bar 2A; B on another end of lower diagonal bar 2A; C on a distal end of upper diagonal bar 2B; D just before the arc on 2B and E on the L shaped corner unit 2C. FIG. 4 showing section views of bungee 11 attachment positions C & D at the top of the upper diagonal bar 2B. In order to achieve a slow rebound the following selective attachments are made: bungee 11 is strapped above the bar at attachment point C and below the bar at attachment point D making the angle of rebound sheet 1 gradual. In order to achieve a fast rebound the following selective attachments are made: bungee 11 is strapped below the bar at attachment point C and above the bar at attachment point D making the angle of rebound sheet 1 steep. The various attachment and bungee strap combinations appropriate for each racket of the sports are outlined in table titled ‘bungee positions’ in FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 shows the various combinations of both the bungee attachments and swivel backboard tilts have on ball returns. FIG. 6 showing a tennis player utilizing the racket sports rebounder with side shields.

It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A racket sports practice apparatus comprised of the following parts: a) U-shaped legs; b) transverse supporting rod; c) vertical supporting poles; d) a frame; e) top horizontal bar; f) swivel bounce board; g) rebound sheet; h) bungee cords; and i) side shields.
 2. The racket sport practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rebound sheet has a sleeve on distal end.
 3. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame is comprised of lower diagonal bars and upper diagonal bars.
 4. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped legs having anti-skid discs.
 5. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transverse supporting rod is connected to the U-shaped legs via spring-loaded detents.
 6. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vertical supporting poles are interconnected with the lower diagonal bars via spring-loaded detents.
 7. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower diagonal bars are connected to the upper diagonal bars via spring-loaded detents.
 8. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the top horizontal bar passes through a sleeve on a distal end of the rebound sheet.
 9. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower diagonal bars are pivotably-affixed to swivel bounce board by means of swivel bounce board adjustment knobs.
 10. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rebound sheet having grommets.
 11. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rebound sheet being connected to the side bars by means of bungees.
 12. The racket sport practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distal end of the upper diagonal bars having corner units.
 13. The racket sports practice apparatus of claim 1, wherein top ends of the upper diagonal bars having side shields affixed to the top of the upper diagonal bars by hook and loop straps.
 14. A method of adjusting ball rebounds to be slow with high returns, comprising the following steps: a) strapping bungees at attachment points C above the frame and securing to attachment pins; b) strapping bungees at attachment points D below the frame and securing to attachment pins; and c) tilting swivel bounce board up away from the longitudinal axis of the lower diagonal bars and tightening swivel bounce board adjustment knobs.
 15. A method of adjusting ball rebounds to be slow with low returns, comprising the following steps: a) strapping bungees at attachment points C above the frame and securing to attachment pins; b) strapping bungees at attachment points D below the frame and securing to attachment pins; and c) tilting swivel bounce board down and in line with the longitudinal axis of the lower diagonal bars and tightening swivel bounce board adjustment knobs.
 16. A method of adjusting ball rebounds to be fast with high returns, comprising the following steps: a) strapping bungees at attachment points C below the frame and securing to attachment pins; b) strapping bungees at attachment points D above the frame and securing to attachment pins; and c) tilting swivel bounce board up away from the longitudinal axis of the lower diagonal bars and locking swivel bounce board adjustment knobs.
 17. A method of adjusting ball rebounds to be fast with low returns, comprising the following steps: a) strapping bungees at attachment points C below the frame and securing to attachment pins; b) strapping bungees at attachment points D above the frame and securing to attachment pins; and c) tilting swivel bounce board down and in line with the longitudinal axis of the lower diagonal bars and tightening swivel bounce board adjustment knobs. 